Collecting the first five chapters of Billy Bane’s story, Wasted Space Vol 1 is a gritty, space adventure fueled by warring gurus, battling mercenaries, and one drunken, has-been drifter. Billy had been a mouthpiece for The Creator, the entity who may or not be moving the pieces around the board. After a political endorsement goes sour, Billy starts running from everything… the voices in his mind, the people who demand answers, and his sometimes friends… he circles the drain straight into the bottle. A prophesy, a nuclear threat, and a hand reaching for help… all find a trajectory to Billy’s dark corner of the universe. Will the slap of reality and guilt bring him to action?

The throttled antihero, the dark, yet witty dialogue, and the inventive illustrations make this a impressive start to the story. There is some light philosophy, namely, discussions of fate, and the nature of a deity. And a note or fyi: These themes and some choice language make this a decidedly adult text.

I’m very curious about where this story will go next.

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Edelweiss, Vault Comics, Michael Moreci, and Hayden Sherman for the copy for review.